It was a dark night with a faint glow surrounding the crowd. Then, from out of a dark cave emerged an old man. On first glance, this old man seemed like a cheery old fellow, but once you looked deep into his eyes, you would discover he would have the most sinister of intentions.
With one scribble across his spell book and one gesture with his hand, he would take the young hero and cast him into a pit never to return. With next, he would summon a bespectacled robot with the most dastardly of intentions. The robot would open up his right arm and he would spread pestilence across the field spreading despair amongst the masses.
By the time our new hero arrived it was too late. He and his friends would be unable to curb the tide set forth by the sinister old man and his evil robot. It was as if a spell was cast preventing them from doing the simplest of activities. Soon, the heroes would be too outnumbered, and they would fall to defeat. Soon, the dim glow that surrounded everyone would go out as the dejected masses fled hoping one day to return to this place and claim victory . . . victory that would never come.
Of course, this is an attempt at portraying Game 4 of the 2015 World Series in an eerie way. In some ways, this fails because what happened was far more horrifying.
After a game with some puzzling decisions, including going too far with Steven Matz, Terry Collins would finally make the decision that would really alter the fate of the entire World Series.
Entering the top of the eighth, the Royals were down just one run, and they had the top of their lineup due up. Considering how frequently Collins used Jeurys Familia for six out saves during the regular season, and considering how up to that point, Familia had allowed just three hits and one run that entire postseason, this was the spot for him. The Mets needed six outs from Familia to ensure they would tie the series up 2-2. With the Mets having Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergaard lined up after that, and with the Royals having lost Game 7 at home the prior year, it seemed like the Mets were in a good position to claim the World Series.
Instead, Collins would go to Tyler Clippard. Up until that point, Clippard had a 5.06 ERA and a 1.411 WHIP in six postseason appearances. This was the same Clippard who dealt with a back issue late in the season and would have a 6.14 ERA and 1.295 WHIP in the month of September. More than that, batters were hitting him hard to the tune of a .268/.323/.536 batting line.
This was decidedly not the pitcher you wanted in this spot. However, this was the direction Collins went. The reason was two fold. The first was this was the formula since the Mets obtained Clippard prior to the trade deadline. Worse than that was the stated reason. Collins said he didn’t want to use Familia for six outs because he appeared the night before in Game 3.
Instead of Hansel Robles, Sean Gilmartin, or really anyone else, Collins tabbed his closer to close out a six run lead. As we watched in horror in Game 4, the ripple effect of that decision was too much to bear.
With that decision, Collins altered the outcome of the World Series, and quite possibly cost the Mets a chance at winning the 2015 World Series. After that we have seen injury after injury after injury. Quite possibly, this makes Game 4 of the World Series the scariest of all Halloween tales.
If you don’t believe me, try this. Instead of putting on the scariest Halloween movie you can think of tonight, try re-watching Game 4 of the World Series.
There are probably some logistical issues I’m missing here, but it seems to me the Mets and 28 other teams are missing an opportunity by not having their ballparks open for children on Halloween.
As we have seen, there are different levels of opening up the ballpark. For paid entry events like a concert or the NYC Bacon and Beer Classic, you are permitted entry within Citi Field. For other events like the annual Coat Drive, a portion of Citi Field is open like the Team Store. For others, we have seen either the Rotunda being open or just tables set up on the perimeter of the ballpark. Whatever, the case, there is a space where fans could bring their children to Trick or Treat.
For the children, it would be a safer environment to do their Trick or Treating. There’s far less of a concern about the various concerns that surround Halloween from cars driving down the road, tampered candy, and for some, bullies. There are also children who are deprived of the joys of Trick or Treating just by a function of their not living in a safe neighborhood.
For all of these children, it would also present an opportunity to go to Citi Field, which is the home of their favorite baseball team.
How teams want to organize it would be entirely up to them. You could have some current or former players. You could skip the players and just have a mascot like Mr. Met. There could be a best costume or best baseball costume event. Really, the door is wide open.
It would also be a good fundraising opportunity. This could be done as an early food drive for Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you bring a can, you have the opportunity to go Trick or Treating at Citi Field. It could also be an extension of baseball’s RBI Program.
As for what gets passed out, it doesn’t really matter so long as it is a fun event. Children want candy on Halloween, but they would also be happy to receive stickers, tattoos, baseball cards, or really anything fun. If teams do this right, there will be a number of sponsors at the ready willing to participate. Likely, these sponors will hand out both candy and swag in the form of a trick or treat bag or other Halloween related items.
If done properly, there is no real downside to this, and it helps grow the game with young fans who will certainly look back and fondly remember their days Trick or Treating at Citi Field. Certainly, Mets fans can use a Citi Field Halloween memory other than Terry Collins leaving in Steven Matz too long, his going to Tyler Clippard instead of Jeurys Familia to start the eighth, and Daniel Murphy booting an Eric Hosmer grounder.
Overall, unless there are some logistics with the city or with Major League Baseball, this is something the Mets and the other teams not hosting a World Series game should definitely look to do for their young fans.
If not Major League teams, at least minor league teams like the Brooklyn Cyclones.
The expectation is that with a game changing play, you would expect things to become a little more one-sided, and one team to begin to pull away. As Endy Chavez and Carlos Beltran can tell you, that is not always the case. Last night, there was a myriad of change-changing plays. Here’s a shot at ranking the Top 10:
1. Gurriel’s 3 Run Homer (4th Inning)
Perhaps none of yesterday’s game would be possible if not for Yuli Gurriel‘s three run homer. At that point, the Astros were down 4-1, and their former Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel had nothing. While the Astros had already gotten to Clayton Kershaw, it’s still Kershaw. If Kershaw gets Gurriel there, the inning is over, and the game has a much different feel. Instead, Gurriel hit a homer that came out of nowhere and descended us all into madness.
2. Barnes’ Hustle Double (9th Inning)
If you subscribe to the theory home runs are rally killers, Yasiel Puig‘s two run homer in the top of the 9th gave Chris Devenski and the Astros a chance to exhale, get the last out, and win the game. Instead, Austin Barnes stretched what should have been a long single into a one out double. The pressure was back on, and more importantly, the game tying run was in scoring position for Joc Pederson and eventually Chris Taylor, who would deliver to the two out RBI single to tie the game.
3. Taylor Didn’t Go Home (8th Inning)
After Corey Seager hit a one out double off Will Harris to pull the Dodgers to within two runs, Justin Turner hit a deep fly ball to right center. Instead of challenging the arm of Josh Reddick, and pulling the Dodgers within a run, Taylor stayed at third base. The reason was because Minute Maid Park was so loud, he confused third base coach Chris Woodward‘s direction to “Go!” as him saying “No!” Chalk that one up for home field advantage.
4. Altuve Ties It Again (5th Inning)
Narratives exist because things happen. Game 5 was case in point why people say he chokes in the postseason even with his Game 1 peformance. After recording two quick outs, he walked Springer and Alex Bregman back-to-back, and with him at 94 pitchers, Dave Roberts brought in Kenta Maeda, who had been previously unscored upon this postseason. That changed with the Altuve home run, and it really set the table for the complete inability for the respective bullpens to get the job done.
5. Springer Redemption (7th Inning)
The half inning after Springer made an ill fated dive at a sinking liner in center (more on that in a moment), he would lead-off the bottom of the seventh against an exhausted Brandon Morrow, who had nothing. Springer got back the run he effectively gave up by hitting a monster of a game tying home run. That would spark a three run rally giving the Astros an 11-8 lead.
6. Bellinger Unties It (5th Inning)
After Gurriel hit the aforementioned game tying three run homer, Cody Bellinger hit a three run homer off of the struggling Collin McHugh, who had not pitched since the ALDS. At that time, the Dodgers seemed to have reclaimed momentum, and they gave Kershaw back a sizeable lead he should have been able to protect.
7. Bregman Walk-Off (10th Inning)
It may seem strange to have this so low, but that was the type of game it was. Bregman’s two out walk-off single against Kenley Jansen was the capper in a series of back and forth plays that not only gave fans whiplash but also sleep deprivation.
8. Springer Dove and Missed (7th Inning)
Believe it or not, the sixth inning of this game was scoreless as the bullpens began to settle in a bit after a crazy fifth. A Turner lead-off double of new reliever Brad Peacock created some tumult. Turner would then score easily when Bellinger hit a sinking liner to center. Instead of fielding in on a hop and trying to get Turner at home or decoying him, Springer dove . . . and missed. At the time the Astros fell behind 8-7, and they were lucky Bellinger wasn’t able to score on an inside-the-park home run.
9. The “Double Steal” (1st Inning)
At the outset of this game, you honestly believed a pitching matchup of Kershaw and Keuchel would be a pitcher’s duel. In fact, the Dodgers took Game 1 with both pitchers mostly shutting down the opposition save for three homers in the game. With the Dodgers having a 2-0 first inning lead, they were already in the driver’s seat.
Then, Keuchel made the weakest of pickoff attempts, and in what must’ve been a designed play, Logan Forsythe took off for second. As Gurriel threw it wide of second, Kiké Hernandez broke for the plate. With the errant throw and Forsythe getting in just ahead of the tag, it appeared as if the Dodgers had a commanding 3-0 lead in the game en route to a 3-2 series lead heading back to Chavez Ravine.
10. Correa in Just Ahead of the Tag (4th Inning)
Before the Gurriel game tying homer off Kershaw, Carlos Correa would deliver a one out RBI double to get the Astros on the board. On the play, Correa got in just ahead of the throw of Hernandez, and he would keep his foot on the bag. Had he not stayed on, he’s not on base when Gurriel hits the game tying home run.
Overall, these are just 10 moments from an otherwise Helter Skelter type of game. We all may have a different order, and there may be some plays that should have been included that were not. That’s just indicative of what type of game that was and what type of series this is.
This postseason has featured some classic games that have stretched into the early hours of the next day. For it’s part, Game Two of the World Series ended at 12:36 AM EST.
For many fans who have work the next day, this was far too late to be up. For those with children, you likely had them in bed well before the end of this game. In fact, many were in bed before the seventh inning stretch. When faced with these moments, many renew calls for postseason day games or earlier start times.
West Coast Problem
The thing about Game Two of the World Series was it ending at 12:36 AM EST was that it ended at 9:36 PM PST. That is not something that should be dismissed, especially when the game was actually played in California.
While people on the East Coast deal with games ending late, people on the West Coast have to deal with games starting too early. Game Two of the World Series, hosted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, had a first pitch at 5:19 PST. That is part of the reason why Dodger Stadium wasn’t at capacity yet when the game started.
That’s not only a problem for people attending the game. It’s a problem for people who wanted to watch the game at home. Imagine being a die hard Mets fan who had to somehow leave work early enough to beat rush hour to get home and be on your couch ready to watch the World Series at 5:00. There aren’t many of us who can.
Yet, that is an issue people on the West Coast have to face every World Series. It’s a problem not just for them, but for Major League Baseball.
Remember, it’s not baseball’s responsibility to ensure friendly end times for baseball games for people on the East Coast. It’s their responsibility to ensure that as many fans in America as possible get to watch the game. That’s their responsibility not just to fans, but also to advertisers.
In making that decision, someone is going to have to suffer. West Coast fans have to deal with missing the beginning of the game, and East Coast people will have to deal with being sleepy the next day. Like all compromise, everyone is left a little unsatisfied.
Getting Young Children Interested
There’s not doubt an early start time would be friendlier for children. Depending on their age, children are in bed before the game even begins. For others, they will have to be in bed before the game ends. In some sense, that’s not much different that the problem many adults face when watching the World Series.
Here’s the thing about that. It’s really not much different that the regular season. Are you really going to tell me that hour makes a real difference between your child watching the game or not?
Personally, I know my son falls asleep while watching regular season games, and he is already in before the World Series start times. I know I smiled the other day when he told me he doesn’t like it when baseball is over, and he wants it come back. I also know his fandom is largely predicated upon mine, and if I continue to be the ardent fan I am, he is likely to follow in my footsteps.
I also know his fandom will likely be shaped as he gets older. With the anniversary of the Mets 1986 World Series having just passed, I talked to my dad about it. I was allowed to stay up for Game 6 to its end in large part because it was my parents were hosting an engagement part for her at our house. My Dad also revealed to me I watched many two minutes of Game 7 because I was already in bed because I had school the next day (Thanks Mom).
It wouldn’t be until Kirk Gibson‘s homer in the 1988 World Series that I would be allowed to stay up late for a game. It is something I would do from 1988 until the present. My missing the 1986 World Series had nothing to do with my fandom or my love of baseball.
World Series Day Games
The counter-point to this is maybe we can counter-balance the first two issues by having World Series day games. In reality, this ultimately will have the opposite effect.
The logic behind it is fairly sound. By having games at a time when everyone can watch, more people will be able to watch the games from beginning to end. That goes double for children from coast to coast.
This argument ignores what it is like to be a parent of a child on the weekend. In fall, especially the Month of October, parents and children’s days are already full of activities. During the fall, there are soccer and football games. There are some fall baseball leagues. This doesn’t even include indoor sports that can be and are played year round like basketball, swimming, gymnastics, and dance.
There are also piano (or other musical instrument) lessons. Recitals. Birthday parties. Pumpkin Picking. Trunk or Treats. The list goes on and on, and that is before you account for laundry, grocery shopping, and all the other househould chores that need to be accomplished by Monday.
During the Month of October, parents are running from place to place. Even when there is nothing to do, you are outside playing with your children or taking them over to a friend’s house to play. It just doesn’t end.
The reward? Well, after a day of running around like that after a hard work week, you should be able to pop open a beer and watch the World Series. Of course, you can’t if it has already been played at 4:00. Instead, you are trying to catch pieces of the game here and there while you are doing things with your children.
Football Problem
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if baseball or football is more popular. What matters is there’s going to be a conflict with day games.
If you’re a college football fan and a baseball fan, you’re going to have to choose between the two or toggle back and forth. If your team is still in the playoff picture, and your baseball team is out of it, you’re likely going to watch your college football team.
Same goes on Sundays when it is a matter of the Jets or Giants and the World Series. While there might be some toggling back and forth, you’re likely going to focus on your team rather than the World Series.
Why would baseball invite fans splitting their interest between two sports? It’s insanity. Oh, and by the way, there is no way Fox would every allow it.
Early Games Don’t Make Sense
Like everyone else, I would like earlier start times to games, and I would love games to end at a reasonably early enough time for me to get to bed at a decent hour. It’s never going to happen, and it’s not happening because people don’t just live on the Eastern seaboard, and people have conflicts with earlier start times.
Like anyone else, I’d like to see a World Series day game in my lifetime, but it’s just not going to happen. And even if it did happen, I probably won’t get to sit down and watch it for another 20 years.
So, as this World Series comes to a close, I’ll be more concerned about the quality of the games played than their start and end times because at the end of the day, I’ll always remember how great Game 2 of the 2017 World Series was, and I probably won’t be discussing how I was so tired at work the next day.
Now that Mickey Callaway was named as the 21st manager in Mets history, both he and the Mets now begin the process of building a coaching staff around him. That process includes hiring a new pitching coach to replace Dan Warthen.
So far, we have heard the Mets are considering a number of names including Dave Righetti, Dave Eiland, and Chris Bosio. Other candidates who were considered were Mike Maddux and Jim Hickey, who have taken jobs elsewhere, and Ricky Bones, who is rumored to be joining Alex Cora‘s staff in Boston.
The Mets have certainly compiled an impressive list. However, one name is missing from that list whom the Mets should consider – Ruben Niebla.
In 2013, Callaway and Niebla would swap roles for the Indians. With Callaway being promoted to become the Major League pitching coach, Niebla would become the minor league pitching coordinator after serving as the Indians interim pitching coach. As a tandem, the two have helped build the impressive Indians pitching staff.
While Callaway has earned notoriety for the development of the staff, Niebla has done his part with a staff that includes Corey Kluber, Mike Clevinger, Josh Tomlin, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar.
With respect to Kluber, Niebla is the one who was pinpointed for taking the pitcher to the next level. The moment began when Niebla one day said to Kluber, “We want you to try throwing a two-seamer.” (Washington Post).
From that point forward, Kluber’s stock rose, and he’s now a perennial Cy Young contender. That moment began when Niebla not only made the suggestion, but also showed Kluber his preferred grip.
In fact, if you look at the Indians staff, many throw Niebla’s two seamer. That two seamer has helped the Indians post the best team ERA in the majors.
If this pitch is truly responsible for part of the success of these pitchers, we may soon hear the Niebla two seamer in the same breath of the “Warthen Slider.” For that to happen, Niebla needs a chance.
As reported by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Niebla has drawn interest in a major league coaching position. While the Mets have not been linked to Niebla, they very well might soon be with the hiring of Callaway.
Certainly, there’s already a level of report between Callaway and Niebla. The question is whether it’s enough for Callaway to want to bring him aboard. It’s also a question if the Mets want to give him that job.
It also should not be discounted that the Indians may be interested in Niebla too. Certainly, he and bullpen coach Jason Bere should be in the mix with John Farrell to replace Callaway.
Overall, it seems like Niebla may very well get a job as a pitching coach this offseason. With the Mets hiring Callaway, presumably in large part due to his work with Indians pitchers, the Mets should take a long look at the coach who helped Callaway make those pitchers so successful.
Editor’s Note: This was first published on MMO
Anytime you enter into a search for a new manager, you are really dealing with the realm of the unknown. For first time managers, you really have no idea if that person is truly ready for the big leagues, he is better suited to the minors, or is a better coach. For every Davey Johnson you hire, there are also the Joe Torres of the world, who were talented managers, but not ready to manage at the time you gave him the job.
Really, in these instances, you have to look at the relevant information available and the recommendations of other baseball people. Mostly, you’re going with your gut.
The Mets gut told them to go out there and hire Mickey Callaway.
The Mets only needed one interview to choose Callaway over former manager and Mets coach Manny Acta. It was sufficient enough for them to bypass current hitting coach Kevin Long.
Callaway had impressed so much during his interview and during his time with the Cleveland Indians, the Mets were not willing to wait. They had Fred Wilpon sit down and sell him on the franchise similar to how the team once did with Billy Wagner and Curtis Granderson.
Give the Mets credit here. They identified their man, and they did all they could do to bring him into the organization. Deservedly so, many complimented the Mets on making a smart hire, including the fans who were skeptical of the direction the Mets would go.
Their man also happened to be a pitching guru, who will now be tasked with the responsibility of fixing Matt Harvey as well as finding a way to keep Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, Zack Wheeler, and Jeurys Familia healthy for a full season.
If Mets fans want a reason to be excited for this season, there is no bigger reason than Callaway choosing to manage this pitching staff. By doing so, he’s announced he’s a believer, and he’s put his and the Mets future on this lines.
The team hiring Callaway so early and so aggressively had a domino effect. It looks like the first domino to fall will be hitting coach Kevin Long.
Long has had a positive impact on the players on this Mets roster. He helped turn Yoenis Cespedes from a slugger to a star. By OPS+ and wRC+, Asdrubal Cabrera had two of his best five offensive seasons. Michael Conforto would prove he could hit left-handed pitching at the Major League level.
With Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith being two cornerstones of the franchise, Long was exactly the man you wanted to help them reach their offensive ceilings. Now, that won’t happen because Long is likely gone.
Another person you would want to help lead young players like Rosario and Smith is Joe Girardi. In his one year with the Marlins, and this past season working with young players like Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, the Yankees made a surprising run this season that ended with a Game 7 loss in the ALCS.
What is interesting is the Mets were rumored to want Girardi. As reported by the New York Post, the Mets were looking to possibly “pounce” on Girardi if the Yankees did not bring him back.
That was written during the ALDS when it appeared Girardi’s job was in jeopardy. After the Yankees recovered and upset the Indians and took the Astros to seven games, there weren’t too many people who stuck believed Girardi would be looking for another job.
And yet, he is. This should at least raise some questions whether the Mets should have done their due diligence. Maybe another round of interviews were in order. Conducting that extra round could have left the Mets open to the chance of not making an hire before Girardi became available.
Maybe if there was a second round of interviews, Long feels more appreciated instead of taking his binders to another job. That other job could be as the manager or hitting coach of the Washington Nationals where he would reunite with Daniel Murphy. Maybe with Long at the helm, the Nationals finally get past the NLDS.
If that were to happen, and if Callaway falters, it would be too much for Mets fans to bear. Yet again, the Mets let one of their own go to the Nationals leading them to further success because they were enamored with someone from another organization. Like with Murphy and Justin Turner, Sandy Alderson will have opened himself up to justifiable second guessing.
The team jumped the gun costing themselves a chance to hire a terrific manager in Girardi, and it might have cost them the opportunity to retain a coach they thought highly enough of they almost made him their manager. The Mets were left with a manager who has never managed professionally, and they have to rebuild a coaching staff.
Instead of making the safe choice like they did when they hired Terry Collins, the Mets instead chose to go for the high risk – high reward hire. It worked with Davey, and it failed with Torre.
This is exactly why the Mets need to be right about their decision to hire Callaway.
When your team isn’t in the World Series, you look for different reasons to root for one team or another. One of the reasons is rooting for some of your favorite Mets. This year is a little more difficult with players on both sides even with Curtis Granderson being left off the World Series roster.
Can you name the former Mets from the Sandy Alderson regime who have played in the World Series since 2011? Good luck!
Justin Turner Angel Pagan Chris Young Collin McHugh Carlos Beltran Tyler Clipboard
One of the things that was discussed often by John Smoltz, and really people everywhere was how Dave Roberts chose to manage Game Two of the World Series. The end result of those moves was Brandon McCarthy, who was added to the World Series roster in place of Curtis Granderson, made his first pitching appearance since October 1st. The end result was McCarthy allowing a two run homer to George Springer that ultimately decided the game.
Roberts had to go with McCarthy because he was his last reliever available as he went to his bullpen early in this game. Oh, and by the way, all hell broke loose after the seventh inning.
MARWIN IN THE 9TH! TIE GAME.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 26, 2017
JOSE ALTUVE FOR THE LEAD! https://t.co/0QfjirPq9o
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 26, 2017
Yasiel Puig cuts the deficit to 5-4 in the 10th with a mammoth solo home run to left field
プイちゃんの、10回のソロ弾 pic.twitter.com/JoTMWxFKgR— yulogy (@yuarerad) October 26, 2017
TIE GAME! TIE GAME! TIE GAME! #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/Ld8KIBk9cF
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 26, 2017
⚾: Astros de Houston venció a Dodgers 7-6, con home run de dos carreras de George Springer en la entrada 11, para empatar la Serie Mundial. pic.twitter.com/89pBqh3ILO
— José Juan Vázquez (@josejuangelv) October 26, 2017
In back and forth games like this, there is seemingly nothing a manager can do to stem the tide. Sure, it helps to have your best relievers available, but Roberts already used his. He was probably right to do so. To that end, here’s each move he made:
Top of the 5th, Dodgers Down 1-0
At this point in the game, Justin Verlander had a no-hitter going, and he looked every bit as hittable. At the time, Rich Hill limited the Astros to an Alex Bregman RBI single, but he was far from dominant allowing three hits and three walks. At this point, if you are going to win this game against Verlander, you’re really hoping someone runs into one to tie it and let your dominant bullpen win the day. For that to happen, you have to keep it as close as possible. As a result, going to Kenta Maeda was precisely the right move.
Top of the 6th, Game Tied 1-1
Joc Pederson did exactly what the Dodgers needed tying the game with a homer. After Maeda did his part keeping the Astros off the board in the fifth, he allowed a lead-off single to Carlos Correa. After a Guerriel pop-out, the Astros lineup was L-S-L, which called for a left-handed reliever. Roberts brought in Tony Watson, who did his job by getting Brian McCann to hit into the inning ending double play.
Top of the 7th, Dodgers Leading 3-1
Out of nowhere, Chris Taylor earned a two out walk, and Corey Seager hit a good pitch to give the Dodgers an improbable 3-1 lead. The team would have only two hits until extra innings, but they certainly made them count. To try to hold the lead, Roberts, who had pinch hit for Watson in the sixth, went to Ross Stripling.
If you want to ding Roberts, this is the spot. After Stripling allowed a lead-off walk to Marwin Gonzalez, Roberts pulled Stripling from the game. Apparently, he was not willing to let the game get out of hand, so he instead brought in Brandon Morrow, who induced Josh Reddick to hit into a double play to prevent the inning from escalating.
Top of the 8th, Dodgers Leading 3-1
Roberts tried to get some extra outs out of Morrow, who only threw nine pitches in the seventh. After a Bregman ground rule double just out of the reach of Puig, Roberts didn’t take chances. He went to Kenley Jansen, who has been as dominant a postseason closer we have ever seen this side of Mariano Rivera.
Yes, the Astros would get one back here, and they would tie the game on an unlikely Gonzalez homer off Jansen, but as any Mets fan that saw Tyler Clippard set the stage for disaster in Game 4 of the World Series, it was the right move.
In the end, Roberts went full bore for this win with a day off today giving his pitchers an extra day of rest. He had the pitcher you wanted on the mound to close out the game to take a commanding 2-0 series lead. Just because Jansen failed doesn’t mean Roberts was wrong. Rather, it means it didn’t work. Those aren’t always the same thing.
If the Dodgers win, we’re talking about Roberts the genius. Fact is, we still should be because he did a great job getting his team on the precipice of a 2-0 series lead.
Watching the World Series last night, there was certainly a lot to unpack. With the game time temperature being over 100 degrees, it was easily the hottest temperature for a World Series game. What ensued from there was a very played, very enjoyable, and very interesting game.
Chris Taylor hit the first pitch from Dallas Keuchel for a home run. This was the first time that has happened in a World Series since Alcides Escobar hit an inside the park home run off Matt Harvey on a ball that Yoenis Cespedes still hasn’t bothered to chase after.
Staying on the Mets related front, Curtis Granderson was removed from the World Series roster, but Chase Utley was kept on it. Of course, this means we will have to keep an eye on Carlos Correa‘s legs should Utley make it on base. Considering he’s gone 0 for his last 21 postseason at-bats, it does not seem like Houston will have a problem on that front.
There was also seeing Justin Turner hitting the game winning home run in the sixth inning was enough for the Dodgers to pull out the 3-1 victory. This was just another reminder that the Mets had no need for the man who just tied Hall of Famer Duke Snider of “Willie, Mickey, and the Duke” fame for the most RBI in Dodgers postseason history.
That was enough because we got an old fashioned pitchers duel between Keuchel and Clayton Kershaw. After an Alex Bregman fourth inning homer, many questioned whether we would see the return of the Kershaw who struggled in the postseason. It didn’t happen. Instead, Kershaw was Kershaw allowing just three hits over seven innings while striking out 11 Astros.
It was a great and rare 2 hour and 28 minute baseball game; not just World Series game, but baseball game. It truly was a joy to watch except for the encroachment of the commercial breaks.
On three separate occasions during the telecast, Joe Buck broke from the action for a quick commercial break. One was for Wendys and the other two were from T-Mobile. Now, this didn’t happen while a ball was in play, but rather in between plays. That’s typically the time for John Smoltz or whoever the color commentator is to give a quick quip or analysis. At times, that’s when the sideline reporter is given the opportunity to provide insight or a sentimental story on a player:
@buck couldn't go to @Ken_Rosenthal for a relevant report due to a @TMobile commercial run during an inning.
— Mets Daddy (@MetsDaddy2013) October 25, 2017
How did MLB allow this to happen? We didn’t see this at all during the games broadcast on FS1 this postseason. We don’t see Fox do it to their other sports, especially not football. In baseball’s biggest showcase, they’ve allowed Fox to broadcast intrusive commercials during game action.
What makes this all the more egregious is there are longer commercial breaks for nationally televised games. Fox has an extra window to get in commercials. There are plenty of other areas to get adverstising dollars. Certainly, every Mets fan is aware of the Cholula hot sauce gun readings during Mets games. If you’ve listened to a game on the radio, you’ve heard Howie mention it’s the 15th batter of the game necessitating we do a quick GEICO mention.
The point there is while it was an intrusion, it didn’t take away from the game action. It was handled by the announcer who could then quickly throw it back to the game. You didn’t have that with the odd split screen, you know, in case you actually wanted to watch the game.
Believe it or not, this was a bad omen. It could very well be the beginning of much more instrusive commercials during not just nationally televised games, but also regionally televised games. Once teams get the sense this is either permissible, or that fans have become apathetic to it, it’s going to happen. And that’s a very bad thing, especially for Mets fans who tune into games partially to hear Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling.
In the end, the lasting image of the 2017 World Series may not be a Turner homer or Kershaw finally being Kershaw in the biggest stage of all. Likely, it’s going to be a T-Mobile commercial.
For the most part, Mets fans were ecstatic about the team hiring Mickey Callaway. That went double after that upbeat press conference where Callaway both promised he would love his players, and they would be the most durable and well-prepared players in the Major Leagues.
There are plenty of reasons to like the move. The Mets hired someone who worked with Terry Francona, who is a future Hall of Famer. The team found someone who has shown the ability not just to comprehend analytics, but also to translate them to pitchers in a way that helps them improve. He’s a new and fresh voice that the team has not had in quite some time. People around baseball seemed to just love the decision of the Mets hiring the second most coveted managerial candidate behind Alex Cora.
These are all well and good reasons to get excited about the hire. There are presumably many more. However, the biggest reason to get excited about the hire is a pitching coach like Callaway chose to manage this Mets team.
That is of no small significance. After the 2015 season, many believed the Mets were going to be a perennial postseason team. Certainly, if things broke the Mets way, they could very well have become a dynastic team, at the very least in the mold of the 1980s Mets teams that were in contention each and every season. However, instead of things breaking the Mets way, the team mostly broke down.
Matt Harvey had to have surgery to alleviate the effects of his TOS, and he followed that up with trying to pitch with an atrophied muscle in his pitching shoulder. Zack Wheeler missed two seasons due to a torn UCL and complications from his Tommy John surgery, and he found himself missing the final two and a half months of the season with a stress reaction. Noah Syndergaard had a torn lat. Jeurys Familia had blod clots removed from his pitching shoulder. Steven Matz had another injury riddled season with him having to have season ending surgery to reposition the ulnar nerve. That was the surgery Jacob deGrom had last season. Speaking of deGrom, he really was the only healthy Mets pitcher during the entire 2017 season.
The pitching behind the injured starters wasn’t pretty. Rafael Montero continued to be an enigma. Chris Flexen showed he wasn’t ready to pitch at the Major League level. Robert Gsellman had his own injury, and he regressed quite severly after a really promising September in 2016. Seth Lugo had come back from his own injury issues, and upon his return, he struggled to get through the lineup three times.
Add to that Hansel Robles being Hansel Robles, and Josh Smoker failing to emerge as that late inning reliever his stuff promised he could be, and the Mets lack of Major League ready starting pitching talent in the minors, and you wonder why anyone would want to become the Mets pitching coach, let alone a manager whose strength is his work with a pitching staff.
Make no mistake, Callaway had to have liked what he saw with this team. Maybe it’s an arrogance any manager or coach has thinking they will be the one to turn things around. Maybe, it was his work with injury prone pitchers like Carlos Carrasco that made him believe he could definitely make things work. Whatever it is, the pitching guru that Callaway is purported to be liked what he sees with the Mets enough to potentially put his reputations and maybe his managerial future on a staff that some believed had fallen apart beyond repair.
Certainly, Callaway would have had other opportunities to accept a managerial position whether it was this year with an up and coming team like the Phillies, or next year when there would be more openings available. Instead, he chose to resurrect what was once a great Mets pitching staff. In part, he chose to do this because he believes in this talent, and he believes he is the man to do it.
That more than anything else is the biggest reason to be excited about this hire, and it is a reason to get excited about the 2018 season.